Live-action adaptations of animated classics are a major trend in Hollywood right now, popularized by Disney’s stratospheric success with this strategy, which led to a revitalization of its vast catalog and multi-billion-dollar global box office returns, hailing from contemporary remakes of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. Several other animation powerhouses have joined the craze, including Universal, DreamWorks, and Studio Ghibli, with each studio actively assessing which of their intellectual properties might benefit from the live-action treatment – and now, it seems, the next high-profile adaptation has been lined up.
Another beloved story is getting a live-action adaptation, as Variety brings word of a hot new project that is sure to generate plenty of buzz due to the popularity of its source material. Most people will be familiar with Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic 1989 Studio Ghibli animated film Kiki’s Delivery Service, which adapts the first volume in Eiko Kadono’s classic fantasy novel series that has sold millions of copies worldwide. The series achieved massive global recognition after inspiring a movie that is widely celebrated as one of the studio’s greatest masterpieces with a near-perfect score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, but now it is set to get another wave of attention, as the heart-warming tale is being turned into a 10-episode television series.
The project is a joint venture between BBC Studios, European production studio Wheel in Motion, and Japanese publishing giant Kadokawa Corporation. The script is being written by Irena Brignull, whose previous screenwriting credits include the Oscar-nominated The Boxtrolls and Netflix’s The Little Prince, with each of the half-hour episodes drawing from the first novel in Kadono’s series. Like the original story, the show will follow 13-year-old witch Kiki as she leaves home for a year of independence in the seaside port town of Koriko, where she establishes her flying courier service and finds her footing in the world.
The announcement of the series comes shortly after the 40th anniversary of the literary saga, which originally debuted in 1985. “Kiki is about to set off on another adventure into a new world,” author Kadono asserted in a statement accompanying the announcement. “I’m confident this will be a great show. I can’t wait to see the series come to life.” While Brignull, who is tasked with crafting the story for the small screen, expressed deep admiration for Kiki, highlighting her as one of the greatest fictional female protagonists of all time:
“Kiki is one of fiction’s great girl characters, and I’m thrilled to be part of bringing her to life in this new adaptation. Embodying the magic that exists in re-invention and human connection, she shows us what’s possible when you venture boldly and big-heartedly into the world to find a sense of purpose.”
Kiki’s Delivery Service is ripe for a live-action series adaptation, as the episodic format will allow the team to explore the untapped adventures and delve deeper into the character relationships beyond Miyazaki’s animated epic, which clocked in at 103 minutes (1 hr 43 mins). It will also revive the story for audiences on a global stage, 37 years after the Studio Ghibli film opened in theaters in Japan and established itself as a cornerstone of the coming-of-age genre, capturing the transition from adolescence to independence.
- Release Date
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July 29, 1989
- Runtime
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103 Minutes
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
